


Who Dares To Love Forever? - Sports AU

by mansikka



Series: Who Dares To Love Forever? [7]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sports, M/M, POV Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22909321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mansikka/pseuds/mansikka
Summary: A difficult meeting at the Clave forces a conversation about the one thing Magnus and Alec aren’t ready to even think about. After much reflection and research, Alec embarks on a journey to become immortal. Though with ceremonies to perform, sacrifices to be made, and an unexpected ‘gift’ from an absent Asmodeus, what will they both have to endure, to get their truly happy ever after?
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Who Dares To Love Forever? [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602904
Comments: 12
Kudos: 80
Collections: SHBingo





	Who Dares To Love Forever? - Sports AU

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> So, this may make no sense whatsoever if you haven't read the previous parts... technically, I suppose, however, you could read at least part of this as a standalone AU. The majority of the rest of the story will be set up like this: **past tense** to indicate the dimension Alec and Magnus have found themselves in, and **present tense** to show they're back in 'their' world. Happy reading, I think?!

Relief coursed through Alec as he approached the rink, glad that he'd not arrived to find it full of the rest of the team. There had been no invitation or plan for them to be there, anyway. But Alec had started looking forward to this quiet half hour alone with _Magnus_ ever since he'd joined the team. Every time he came down here, excited for those moments alone with Magnus, he worried about having that time interrupted by other people. Because if they were interrupted, well. Everyone would know about his _crush_ on Magnus just from how he behaved around him, and then what would he do?

Alec liked to think he'd kept his feelings fairly well hidden up until then, admiring Magnus from afar then both thrilled and terrified when he'd hear Magnus was joining the team. Suddenly, that beautiful forward whipping around the ice either as an opponent, or onscreen and charming everyone around him with his wit, beauty, and big heart, was sharing the gym, locker room, and ice with him. For the first few days, Alec hadn't even known where to look.

_Obviously_ he knew where to look. Alec's stomach did its usual flip for watching Magnus' graceful gliding across the ice, oblivious to his attention. He kept his eyes on Magnus as he stretched, psyching himself up before stepping out on to the ice to join him.

"Alexander. Good morning," Magnus called, whipping past him at speed though not so fast that Alec wouldn't catch him smile.

"Hi, Magnus."

"Did you have a good night?"

Alec skated to catch up with him, the two of them taking a wide loop of the rink side by side, as part of what had become their familiar warm-up. He looked to Magnus for an explanation for his question before realizing what he meant. "Yes. Yeah, it was great." His youngest brother Max had come to visit two days before, meaning it had been _three_ days since he'd last seen Magnus. It hadn't been intentional to stop the two of them meeting, but Alec was relieved in a way that they hadn't. _Max_ knew about his crush, had been teasing him for it alongside their other brother and their sister for the past year. Max would have outed him in seconds with just a _look_.

"Did he enjoy seeing the city?"

"Well. We're _from_ here," Alec told him, pushing himself to keep up; Magnus was _fast_. "We still have family around here, so, I don't think he was all that impressed. Nothing's really _new_ for him, you know? But then, he's thirteen, so I don't know much that impresses him. Besides video games, obviously."

"Of course. I should have known that from your _drawl_," Magnus teased, making Alec's heart stop for the wink he received when he looked. Alec was lucky that skating came so easy to him; otherwise, he'd have ended up in a heap on the ice.

"What about you, Magnus?" Alec asked, as though he _didn't_ know Magnus' full life history. Born in Costa Rica, he'd been spotted by a scout when playing hockey for Los Angeles Junior Kings after he and his family had moved there when Magnus was five. Magnus had earned himself a full scholarship and then gone on to play for L.A. Kings, playing then for the Edmonton Oilers before transferring to the New York Rangers last year. Alec could recite every statistic about Magnus' career, from wins to height and skate size. Alec listened to Magnus' version of his history as though hearing it for the first time.

"So, what about you?" Magnus asked when finished, and Alec had made all the right noises to pretend this was all new information.

"Oh. Junior league here, then my parents got divorced. I thought I was moving to L.A. with my dad, but that didn't work out. I got a scholarship at Princeton, played with the Tigers there. Then got drafted by the Devils. Came here three years ago."

"Glad to be back home?"

"I think so." Alec, for having Max visit them for a few days from L.A. and having a sort-of excuse to show him around, had made him appreciate the city more.

"And I suppose your family were happy to have him here?" Magnus asked. Magnus had met Jace and Izzy exactly twice since joining the team. Alec had kept them away at every opportunity for the knowing looks both of them had given him the last time.

"Yes. It was good; all of us being together for a little while. I know my Mom loved having him back."

"It must be difficult for her, having her youngest son so far away? Sorry," Magnus added then with a guilty clearing of his throat, "I wasn't meaning to pry."

"No, it's fine," Alec said quickly, "you're right. It is. But they talk all the time—they all do. _We_ all do. And Max is doing great in school, has made good friends there. It's all working out."

"My god-daughter, Madzie, she can't _wait_ to visit next month," Magnus told him with an affectionate smile as he gestured towards the goal. "It's all she talks about when I call."

"That'll be nice for you, right?"

"It will. Her mother, Catarina, has been a dear friend of mine since, oh, for more years than either of us would like to admit. It will be good to see them both."

Alec had so many questions. Though now they had warmed up with a few laps it was time to get to what they had in fact come on the ice to do. They skated to the side of the rink to pick up their equipment, Alec tucking his stick under his arm as he pulled on his gloves. Magnus even seemed to do that far more gracefully than Alec had ever managed, giving a quick, unnecessary twirl as they approached the goal. Alec slid into position in front of the goal after straightening a corner of it, braced and ready for Magnus to begin his goal practice.

"So. How many are you going to let me get in?" Magnus asked, skating around in front of him slowly before spinning to a graceful stop.

"Who says I'm going to let you get _any_ in?"

"Isn't that the point?" Magnus replied, grinning at him openly.

"I thought you wanted to _practice_," Alec retorted with the same glint of tease in his eye.

"Oh, I do. Though it would be good to get at least _something_ in."

Alec was very firm with himself every time this happened that Magnus was not outrageously flirting with him. That those looks he gave him meant nothing, and that neither of them were preening for the other's attention. To overcompensate for the jolt of _want_ that rushed through him for Magnus' wink, Alec put on his best stern expression; which Magnus seemed to _like_. Though Magnus then cleared his throat shifting his expression to what Alec had privately come to call his _business_ face, arranging his grip on his hockey stick and more properly facing the goal. The playfulness of their time together had come to an end, and Alec couldn't help but miss it already.

"If you get five in, in a row, then I'll buy you a drink," Alec blurted out quickly, eyes wide when he realized what he'd said. Magnus' eyebrow shot up, the corners of his lips twitching. Alec cursed under his breath shoving his mouthguard in so he couldn't say anything worse.

"How about this. If I _miss_ five in a row, I'll buy _you_ dinner," Magnus replied, keeping his eyes on Alec as he too slipped in his mouthguard in, then put on his mask.

Alec's stomach clenched at the thought of a whole _dinner_ with Magnus away from everything else, having to adjust his grip on his hockey stick for how distracted he was. "_Deal_," he said, his words muffled around the guard, catching the way Magnus' eyes crinkled as he secured his helmet. Magnus pulled back the lid of the cooler, tipping it to let the pucks slide out across the ice. A thrill of excitement hit Alec again as Magnus lined them up, waiting for their practice to begin.

* * *

Their practice sessions became edged with a new sense of competition, with the promise of seeing each other mid-week driving them on. For Alec at least, who still wouldn't allow himself to really believe his feelings were reciprocated. Magnus was always the perfect gentleman with him; even if they did constantly flirt over practice or dinner, and both found excuses for why they would touch. Their dinners had only been a part of their routine for a month, yet Alec already found himself looking up bar and restaurant recommendations that would give them new places to visit together for at least the next six. Just in case it was _his_ turn instead of Magnus' to come up with one. He still wanted to _win_; even if there was always more time with Magnus promised at the end of their practice.

His crush was getting worse. For spending extra time with Magnus, Alec found him creeping into his dreams. Not the dreams of the past where he would wake aching for him flushed with embarrassment about what he'd imagined doing with him, taking extra long to look Magnus in the eye whenever he saw him. The new dreams were strange, a whimsical tinge to them like he was viewing them through thick glass, strange versions of themselves that were still _them_, though were also so very different. The dreams on occasion crept into Alec's days leaving him off-balance when his vision shifted in front of him.

Magnus, for example, Alec often saw with flashes of cat eyes. The grace of his movement over the ice replaced with a sureness of step for dancing instead. Once or twice, Alec's dreams conjured what he could only think of as _magic_ pouring from Magnus' palms, a beautiful blue color that Alec found soothing.

Alec himself in these dreams felt _military_, a stiffness to his spine that spoke of years of training. Different muscle groups flexed and stretched in ways he wasn't used to for hockey, more like he was prepared for battle instead of stepping in front of a goal. Even skating on to the ice then, excited for joining Magnus for practice as always, Alec caught himself wondering about holding on to a bow and arrow, surprised almost when he cleared his head to find a hockey stick in his hands instead.

"Good morning, Alexander. Are you okay?" Magnus asked, making Alec's stomach _tug_; Magnus had only ever called him _Alexander_ in that dream.

"Of course," Alec replied telling himself he was imagining it. "I'm sorry I'm late. I slept in."

"That's not like you," Magnus said softly, smiling when together they began their laps of the rink. "Well. I imagine it isn't, anyway. For some reason I always imagine you waking at the crack of dawn, as though you have a hundred important things to do before breakfast."

"Well. I'm not up _that_ early," Alec replied, careful to keep in step with Magnus as they skated. The urge to reach out to touch him this morning was stronger than ever so he didn't really trust himself to be too close.

"I had the strangest dream about you, actually," Magnus said then, making Alec laugh in surprise.

"Me?"

"Yes.

When Magnus didn't elaborate, Alec cleared his throat. "Magnus?"

"Well. For starters, you were wearing a lot of _black_."

Alec laughed, glad his actual wardrobe was slightly more colorful. Greens and greys, specifically; colors he'd noticed Magnus seemed to like on him the most. Not that he was the reason for those choices on most mornings, of course. "Okay. Well. Black goes with anything."

"You looked far sterner in that dream too," Magnus added, definitely giving Alec the once-over. "Just like you did last weekend."

Alec cleared his throat for thinking of their last match when he'd almost got himself sin-binned for squaring off to one of the opposing team's defensemen for landing in his goal. "Yes. Well."

"My unconscious even gave you tattoos," Magnus added, his eyes falling to Alec's neck. "One very large prominent one in particular."

Alec's hand flew automatically to his neck, cold creeping into his stomach. His dreams always saw him with a large neck tattoo as well. So prominent that some mornings, Alec found himself searching in the mirror for it.

"Anyway," Magnus said then, clearing his throat and smiling. "It was just odd. Now. I have a particular restaurant in mind for dinner this week, so. Perhaps we should get to practice."

"You that sure you're gonna win, Magnus?" Alec asked, always smiling helplessly for the teasing smile he gave him; even if the visions from Magnus' dreams were similar enough to his own to concern him.

"Oh," Magnus said, looking him over, "I always feel as though I'm winning either way."

* * *

Rage boiled through Alec, storming through to the locker room before the rest of the team could catch up to him, ready to punch something for letting in that last goal. He was sure he could still hear the groan of disapproval from their fans the second the puck hit the back of the net; far louder than the cheer from the opposing team which should have drowned it out.

The clatter of approaching voices and skates only goaded him further, Alec not ready for coming face to face with the people he'd let down. Magnus stepping into the locker room first looking over his shoulder like he was making the rest of the team wait went a _little_ way to soothing him. Not much, but enough to prevent Alec from punching the nearest wall.

Magnus didn't even need to say anything, only gave Alec the softest of looks before a flurry of after-match activity descended on them, Alec's mood further put back together after showers, and not too many harsh words from their coach. Though he still wanted to be _away_ from everything.

"Do you feel like a drink?" Magnus asked as Alec towel-dried his hair far more rough with himself than necessary. Magnus, of course, already looked perfect, like he'd stepped off a catwalk somewhere instead of out of the shower.

"_Yes_," Alec said, thankful for the excuse, quickly gathering his things together, and Magnus patiently waiting as he mumbled apologies at the rest of the team. Not that their anger was all for him of course; it had been a difficult game for them all. Alec promised himself he'd forget about it entirely for at least the next couple of hours. Those hours with _Magnus_ would make forgetting easy.

"So. When do you think you will stop punishing yourself for something that wasn't your fault?" Magnus asked once they were in a quiet corner of a bar that was _perfect_ for Alec's mood.

Alec clinked his glass against Magnus' delaying his answer by taking a gulp of his drink, earning himself an amused flicker of a smile from Magnus for it. "Eventually, I suppose."

"It really wasn't—"

"Magnus," Alec said, brave enough now to let himself reach out and touch him to stop Magnus speaking; even if that _touch_ was only a squeeze of his forearm.

"Fine," Magnus replied, pretending to roll his eyes, making Alec's heart flutter for briefly covering his hand. "We won't even talk about it. Though tell me what I can do to make you smile again."

"You're here. That's enough."

In the beginning of their _friendship_, Alec had tripped over every word, fearing his crush would be obvious in everything he said to Magnus. Magnus had either not noticed, or hadn't minded, never objecting or doing anything but smile. On occasion even encouraging him, which filled Alec's mind with possibilities that he spent far too much time thinking about when alone.

That nervousness was long gone, Alec acknowledging that his stumbling attempts at friendship interspersed with _flirting_ Magnus not only welcomed, but even enjoyed. Some nights they felt on the precipice of a _something_ between them, Alec always disappointed in whatever events conspired to pull them back. Though now, after a terrible game, sleepless nights for his parents still finding ways to fight despite the distance between them, and possibly the beginnings of a cold, Alec didn't have the strength to carefully school in what he was thinking.

Magnus, of course, lit up for his words, his eyes crinkling in the corners and Alec smiling in return. "Really, now."

"Yes," Alec told him. "You always make me feel better. About everything."

"You do the same for me."

_Something_ was happening between them, Alec was sure of it. The past few nights Magnus had crept into Alec's dreams with increasing frequency, and his days filled with new boldness to send even more messages than usual. Even now, the way they were sat spoke of _intimacy_ far closer than normal, turned to one another with Magnus' knee pressed against Alec's thigh beneath the table. Alec _wanted_, and for the way Magnus stared back at him he was sure that feeling was reciprocated. Enough of _waiting_, Alec told himself, knocking back his drink for bravery, then moving even closer to Magnus.

Alec watched Magnus' eyebrow raise, and the dart of his tongue out over his lips, and ignored the way his heart was raising. He leaned in to close the gap between them, curling a hand around the back of Magnus' neck to keep him close as he kissed him, closing his eyes for the way Magnus sagged against him in relief.

The air shifted around them as they kissed. Their bar corner seemed to drop away in a rush of cold leaving Alec shivering, unsure whether it was because someone had opened a door, or if it was only his excitement. Not that he cared, for Magnus' fingers curling into his shirt to keep him close, and the smile on his face when Alec pulled back one full of euphoria. His eyes, though, flaring with surprise as he looked beyond Alec's shoulder, they caught Alec's attention; especially for the flash of amber Alec was sure he saw.

Magnus' hand curled into Alec's against his lap, Alec's head feeling like it was spinning as he started to take into their surroundings. The light of their bar faded away to be replaced by a candlelit chamber. Dawning realization beginning to creep into Alec's gut.

"Magnus?"

* * *

"Alexander?"

Alec grabs Magnus to him in a hug of relief, fingers up in the back of his hair to pull him close. He hadn't even known him. He hadn't known a thing about this life, their _real_ life. Alec is _terrified_ for the thought of losing all he has with Magnus here, of never seeing the future with Magnus that they've both worked so hard to have. So he holds on tight, adamant he won't let go of Magnus again. Magnus can't seem to get close enough either, digging his fingers into Alec's shirt.

"Well. That was… interesting?" Alec says when he feels Magnus relaxing, though doesn't give Magnus time to respond, for having to kiss him.

Magnus sighs against his mouth, arching against him like he needs to be even closer. "I don't know about _interesting_."

"Well. It could've been far worse," Alec says, vaguely interested now in finding out more about ice hockey, wondering if it will come to him as naturally _here_ as it did, well, _there_.

"I suppose. How long do you think we were gone?"

"I have no idea," Alec says, pulling out his phone to check, and laughing in surprise. He holds it up for Magnus to look, so he can see barely any time has passed at all. _Minutes_.

"That can't be right," Magnus says, shaking his head, "we were there months. _Longer._"

It _felt_ like months. Alec is sure he can feel the passage of time catching up with him, reliving so many moments from that other world. There are aches to his muscles that are not residual from any Shadowhunter duties, but those of a trained, active athlete. His mind is plotting things involving a puck instead of political strategies for the Shadow World. And he is distracted enough by this _other world_ that Alec huffs in surprise when he remembers he has new life flowing through his veins, and _magic_. In this moment, Alec feels more at home as an ice hockey player than anything else. He doesn't _like_ that feeling.

"Well. If it's that quick, maybe we can… get through however many of these things they are, and just… get on with our lives?" Alec wants this over with, even if his interest is piqued. That honeymoon they've promised themselves is calling, and Alec can _feel_ how his new magic is beginning to flow. And after all of this, Alec thinks they'll deserve a break from everything. Who knows what else they'll have to experience before this thing is over?

Magnus groans, though is already nodding, taking Alec's hand and tugging him once more towards the chamber's mirror. "Let's get this over with," he says, raising Alec's hand to kiss the back of, before he nods at him, and together they step through.


End file.
